Timer



sept. 25, 1923. 1,469,032

Ef.- R. BARKER TIMER Filed Dec. 16. 1921 Patented Sept. 25, 192,3.

EDWIN R. Banana, or soUTII BEND, INDIANA.

TIMER.

Application led December 16, 1921. Serial No. 522,836.

To all whomit'may coin/cera:

' Be it knownthatI, EDWIN R. BAKKER, a

citizen of the United States, residing at' South Bend, inthe vcounty ofSt. Joseph andv State of Indiana, have invented certain new andusefullmprovements in Timers, of which the following is .aspecification.-

LTlie invention relates to a timer for controlling an .electric circuitfor internal combastion en ines, andy has for its .object to provide aVeviceof this'.characterwherein the timer roller is -grooved and rotatesin engagement with ai conductonring having its opposite-sidesbevelledandadapted'. to

be engagedby the bevelledE flanges A'of the Contact roller, and toyprovide spring supported segments supported yby springs and universallyrockable, said segments forming a portion'of the track to one sidethereof and disposed within chambers of the conductor ring but spacedfrom the walls of saidk chambers, thereby preventing short cir- `cuitingthrough the conductor ring.

It hask been found that where conducto plates are imbedded in the innerface of a nonconductor `casing and over which conductor plates a compactroller moves, or a shoe moves, considerable trouble fis encoun teredkbecause the revolving contact shoe gradually scrapesL away enoughmetalfrom the contact plates and carries it along until the spaceybetween the contact platesbecomes bridged and consequently` a shortcircuit occurs, therefore it is an object of the invention to provideContact segments supported independent of surrounding structure andyieldably under the tension of a spring actu-j ated contact; rollerinsuch a manner that rapid Wearing away of the metalk ofthe contactmembers is obviated, and the movement of thensegments preventingaccumula.-

tion of Whatever small metal particles mayy may be made within the scopeof what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings f Figure-1 is a View looking into the timer. i Figure 2is yal yvertical sectional yview` through the timer taken on line 2 2 ofFigure -1, and showing the contact roller and its supporting mechanismremoved.

`Figure 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on line I3-3 ofFigure 1.

Figure 4 is an` enlarged perspective view ofone of the contact segmentsshowing its supporting spring.

Figure 5 isy a detail perspective view of a'k portion of the conductorring, showingone of the chambers therein. n

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the cupof aconventional form of timer, preferably the type used in connection withengines yof Ford automobiles and 2 the engine cain shaft, which isdisposed within the cup l. Disposedivithin the cup l is a ring 3, whichring is formed from insulating material and supports a conductor ringLLformed from conductor material. The conductor ring 4' is provided withbevelled sides 5 and `6, thereby 'forming a conductor ring substantiallyVshaped in cross section, however V`at a point between the bevelledsurfaces 15 yand 6 an annular run-Way 7 is provided vWhich engagesacylindrical portion 8 of the springactuated Contact roller 9, theconically shaped portions'l() and' 1lv of whichengage the bevp elledsurfaces 5 and 6 oftheconductor ring,

thereby causing the contact roller, as the cam'. shaft 2 rotates, toaccurately andrpositively engage the conductor ringrr 4 during therotation of theroller: kIt has been found thatwhere contact plates aredisposed withina casing and a contact member rotated inr engagement withsaid contact plates, ythat fine particles are scraped from the platesand soon bridge the spaces between the platesv thereby causingV shortcircuit. To obviate the above difficulty the conductor ring 4, at spacedintervals is provided with chambers l2 which receive the segmentallyshaped contacts 13, which contacts are substantially the same radius asthe bevelled sides 6 of the conductor ring, but are spaced from theWalls of the chambers 12, thereby ypreventing lodgment or accumulationof any fine particles between the sides of the contact segments andthewalls of the chambers 12, .vhich would cause short circuit. Eachsegmentally shaped contact 13 is sccured to the arm 1l of a transverselydisposed U-shaped spring l5 thereby supporting the segmentally shapedcontact 123 in such a manner that it may universally rock as thebevelled side ll of the contact roller 9 moves over the same, therebypreventing the formation of ridges or the like which canse the roller tojump or chatter as it moves over the contact. It Will be seen Lhat thecontact segments are supported in such a manner that thei may easilymove, consequently the formation of bridges from fine particles betweenthe ends of the segments and the vfalls of the chamber l2 will bcprevented. vrhe arms 1G of the springs 'l5 are provided Withbifurcations 1T, which biturcations receive the headed end 1S ot bindingposts l and are sulicicntly long to allow inward or outward adjustmentof the contact segments, thereby allowing the segments vto be adjustedin relation to the bevelled side ll of the contact roller 9. The bindingposts are provided with nuts Q0 which when tightened hold the springs l5against movenient.

is the cam shaft il rotates and consequently the roller 9 whichsupported on the spring actuated pivotcd arm 2l, said roller will rotatein engagement with the conductor rin'r l and when it passes over thecontact segments 13, it ivill complete a circuit through the cani shaltand the binding posts l), therefore it will be seen that a timer isprovided, which is simple in construction, positive in its operation andonenherein the danger ot short circuiting is reduced to a minimum.

The invention having been set 'l'orth what is claimed as nevv and usefulis l. A circuit maker and breaker comprising a casing having a conductorring disposed therein, said ringr being insulated from the casing, saidring having .its inner face oppositely bevelled thereby formingraccn'ays, a shaft disposed Within the casing and adapted to be rotated,a spring actuated arm carried by said shaft, a contact roller carried bysaid arm and having a contact roller provided with conically shapedsides engaging the bevelled raceways of the condnctor ring, saidconductor ring at spaced intervals being provided with contact segmentsforming portions of the raceways at one side thereof and supported inchambers and spaced from the walls thereof, said segnicntally shapedcontact segments conforming to the curvature of the raceways and beingrcsiliently mounted for universal movement on springs.

The'combination with a periodic multiple contact rotary circuit makerand breaker, said circuit maker and breaker comprising a casing, aconductor ring disposed Within said casing and insulated therefrom,oppositely bevelled raceways carried by said conductor ring, a conductorroller having bevelled surfaces engaging said bevelled raceways of theconductor rin and rotated thereon, of segmentally shape contact segmentsspring supported and disposed in chambers of the conductor ring andspaced `from the walls of said chambers.

3. The combination with a conductor ring formed from conductor materialand over which conductor ring a conductor wheel moves, said conductorring being provided with spaced chambers and having oppositely extendingbevelled surfaces with which the roller engages, ofrsegmentally shapedcontact segments disposed within the chambers and conforming to thecurvature of the bevelled surfaces, said contact segments being spacedfrom the walls of the chambers and insulated from the conductor ring,Ushaped springs disposed Within the chambers and supporting the contactsegments in such a manner that said contact segments may universallyrock, means for securing the springs within the chambers in such amanner that they may be adjusted inwardly or outwardly, said springsbeing insulated from the conductor ring.

17. A circuit maker and breaker comprising a ring formed from conductormaterial and having oppositcly bevelled faces forming racevvays, aconductor roller movable over said raceways and provided with bevelledsurfaces engaging the same, parts of one of said raceways being formedfrom segnientally shaped contacts, said contacts being mounted onsprings and in chambers ol the ring, said segmentally shaped contactsbeing spaced from the walls of the chambers zniduniversally movable upona. flexing of the springs.

In testimony' whereof I al'ix my signature.

EDWIN R. BAKKER.

